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Aladdin (2019 film)
| screenplay = | based on = * and was added to the One Thousand and One Nights by Antoine Galland, appearing in his French translation Les mille et une nuits. }} }} | starring = | music = Alan Menken | cinematography = Alan Stewart | editing = James Herbert | studio = | distributor = Warner Bros. Entertainment Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | released = | runtime = 128 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}Aladdin is a 2019 American musical fantasy film produced byAmblin Entertainment, Centropolis Entertainment, Rideback, Providence Entertainment, The Kennedy/Marshall Company and Vertigo Entertainment and released by Warner Bros. Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who co-wrote the screenplay with John August. It is a live-action adaptation of Disney and Warner Bros.' 1992 animated film of the same name, which is based on the eponymous tale from One Thousand and One Nights. The film stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar, as well as the voices of Alan Tudyk and Frank Welker. The plot follows Aladdin, a street urchin, as he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, befriends a wish-granting Genie, and battles the wicked Jafar. In October 2016, Disney and Warner Bros. announced Ritchie would direct a live-action Aladdin remake. Smith was the first member of the cast to join, signing on to portray Genie in July 2017, and Massoud and Scott were confirmed for the two lead roles later that month. Principal photography began that September at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, also filming in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, and lasted until January 2018. Additional filming and pick-ups took place in August 2018. Aladdin was theatrically released in the United States on May 24, 2019. It has grossed $1 billion worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2019, and the 34th highest-grossing film of all-time. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Smith, Massoud and Scott, the costumes and the musical score, but criticized Ritchie's direction and the CGI effects. Critics were also divided on the deviations from the original animated film, such as Kenzari's casting and characterization of Jafar. Plot Aladdin, a kind-hearted street urchin, living in the Arabian city of Agrabah along with his pet monkey Abu, rescues and befriends Princess Jasmine, who has snuck out of the palace to explore, tired of her sheltered life. Meanwhile, the grand vizier, Jafar, schemes to overthrow Jasmine's father as the Sultan with the support of Iago, his sardonic pet parrot. He seeks a magic lamp hidden in the Cave of Wonders that will grant him three wishes. He has been unable to retrieve the lamp himself because only "the diamond in the rough" is allowed to enter the cave. Jafar discovers Aladdin is the diamond in the rough and when Aladdin sneaks back into the royal palace to talk to Jasmine, he is captured and persuaded by Jafar's deal to help him retrieve the lamp: since only Aladdin can enter the cave alive, he will retrieve the lamp for Jafar and Jafar will make Aladdin rich enough to impress Jasmine. Jafar warns Aladdin not to take anything but the lamp. Inside the cave, Aladdin finds a magic carpet and obtains the lamp, but Abu accidentally causes the cave to collapse after he catches a falling ruby. Aladdin gives the lamp to Jafar, but he double-crosses Aladdin and throws him and Abu back into the cave, though Abu steals the lamp back. The magic carpet catches Aladdin and saves him from falling to his death. Trapped in the cave, Aladdin rubs the lamp, unwittingly summoning an omnipotent Genie, who lives inside it. Genie explains that he has the power to grant Aladdin three wishes, with the exceptions of murder, romance, the resurrection of the dead, and more wishes. Aladdin gets Genie to free them from the cave without using a wish on a technicality: Aladdin didn't rub the lamp as he stated the wish. After they get out of the cave, Aladdin uses his first official wish to become a prince to impress Jasmine, and promises to use his third wish to free Genie from servitude and turn him human. Abu is temporarily transformed into an elephant in the process. Aladdin enters Agrabah as Prince Ali of Ababwa, arriving in an extravagant spectacle. However, Jasmine is unimpressed by his first presentation, including an assortment of gifts and gems. The two later bond when he takes her on a ride on the magic carpet to show her the world she wants to see while Genie goes out with Jasmine's handmaiden Dalia. Jasmine realizes who Aladdin is and tricks him into revealing his true identity; however, he convinces her that he is actually a prince and only dressed like a peasant to meet the citizens of Agrabah beforehand. Jafar discovers Aladdin's identity and, to test his theory, throws Aladdin into the sea, saying if he lives, it will be because he found the lamp, and the Genie saved him. If he dies, he really is a prince and doesn't have the lamp. Abu, now a monkey again, and the carpet arrive with the lamp, and Aladdin rubs it just before losing consciousness. Genie saves him, but at the cost of his second wish. At the palace, Jafar tries to turn the others against Aladdin with lies, but when Aladdin returns, Jafar is exposed by him and Jasmine, who was also suspicious of Jafar. He is arrested and imprisoned in the dungeon. The Sultan offers Aladdin the position as heir to the throne. Fearing he will lose Jasmine if the truth is revealed, Aladdin needs Genie with him now and refuses to free him. Genie tells Aladdin he's breaking his heart. Iago snatches one of the guards' keys, and he frees Jafar. Jafar stealthily steals the lamp from Aladdin and becomes Genie's new master, to his horror. He uses his first two wishes to become Sultan and then when the guards refuse to acknowledge the change at Jasmine's request, to become the world's most powerful sorcerer, imprisoning the guards and Jasmine's pet tiger Rajah. He then exposes Aladdin's identity to Jasmine and exiles him and Abu to a frozen wasteland on the other side of the Earth. He threatens to kill the Sultan and Dalia unless Jasmine agrees to marry him. At the wedding ceremony, Aladdin and Abu return, having been rescued by the magic carpet, and Jasmine steals back the lamp. Furious, Jafar transforms Iago into a roc to give chase. Jafar, angered by the Sultan, overpowers them and severely damaging the magic carpet in the process. Iago steals the lamp back. Aladdin stalls by taunting Jafar for being second and powerless to the Genie, thereby tricking him into using his last wish to become the most powerful being in the universe. Due to the vagueness of the wish, Genie is able to use it to turn Jafar into a genie; chained to the lamp without a master, Jafar is trapped inside, dragging Iago in with him. Genie throws Jafar's lamp to the Cave of Wonders and repairs the magic carpet. Aladdin keeps his promise, using his last wish to free Genie and allow him to live as a human. The Sultan declares that Jasmine will be the next ruler and tells her that Aladdin is a good person, outlines how worthy he is, and tells her as sultana, she can overturn the law that requires her to marry a prince. Genie marries Dalia and leaves to explore the world and start a family with her. Aladdin and Jasmine get married and start a new life as well. Cast * Will Smith as Genie / Mariner: A comedically eccentric and kindly jinn who has the power to grant three wishes to whoever possesses his magic lamp. Smith said that he was "terrified" while playing the character, but that "he found a lane that pays homage" to Robin Williams' performance in the original animated film, while still making the role "his own thing." Smith described the character as "both a trickster and a mentor," who tries "to guide Aladdin to the truth of the greatness that's already within him." Smith physically portrays the character when he is in the guise of a human, while his giant blue genie form is CGI, portrayed through motion-capture performance. * Mena Massoud as Aladdin: An impoverished Agrabah thief and "street rat" who is smitten with the Sultan's daughter. With the Genie's help, he masquerades as Prince Ali Ababwa. Massoud said that Aladdin "sees a future for himself that's greater than what's been set out for him at the present moment. He doesn't know exactly what it is or how he's going to get there, but he knows it is out there," and felt the character "is very selfless and usually does things for other people, but as he falls in love he loses himself a little bit and starts to become someone that he's not. But he's a good person with good intentions and has good people surrounding him who lead him back to where he's supposed to be." * Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine: The Sultan's daughter and the feisty princess of Agrabah who wants to have a say in how she lives her life. Scott said that the character "will be strong and have fun, but also get it wrong and be emotional. She's a multidimensional woman, and she does not have to just be one thing. So in this movie, you see her go on such a roller coaster, as opposed to her one goal being to escape the loneliness of royalty and find a companion." She further stated that Jasmine will try to find "the courage to speak out for her people," and said that "Jasmine wants to know what goes on in her kingdom and reconcile the distance that has been created, and Aladdin gives her the courage to do just that." * Marwan Kenzari as Jafar: A nefarious and deceptive sorcerer, the Grand vizier of Agrabah, and the Sultan's chief advisor. Frustrated with the Sultan's ways of ruling, he devises a plot to overthrow him as the ruler of Agrabah by acquiring the Genie's lamp. Jafar's backstory is explored in the film, which producer Jonathan Eirich felt would make the audience "understand why he's so bad," as "that's what makes him such a good villain." * Navid Negahban as The Sultan: The wise and noble ruler of Agrabah who is eager to find a capable husband for his daughter Jasmine. * Nasim Pedrad as Dalia: Jasmine's loyal handmaiden and confidante. Pedrad said that Dalia "has been by Jasmine's side for years and really looks out for her." * Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders: A suitor and potential husband for Jasmine from the kingdom of Skånland. * Numan Acar as Hakim: The head of the palace guards who is loyal to the Sultan of Agrabah, as his father worked for the Sultan as a palace servant. * Nina Wadia as Zulla: A market trader. Wadia was especially pleased to accept the last minute casting call as they required extra footage filming after production had wrapped. Voices * Alan Tudyk as Iago: Jafar's sardonic and intelligent scarlet macaw companion. The film marks the first time that Gilbert Gottfried has not voiced the character. * Frank Welker reprises his three roles from the original film: :* Abu: Aladdin's kleptomaniac but loyal pet Tufted capuchin with a falsetto voice. :* Rajah: Jasmine's protective pet Bengal tiger and best friend, who communicates through growling, roaring, and grunting. :* Cave of Wonders: A sand guardian that resembles the giant head of a lion (in contrast with being a tiger in the original), who has been tasked to protect the magic lamp from intruders and give it to those who are worthy like a "diamond in the rough." Production Development and casting On October 10, 2016, it was announced that Guy Ritchie would direct a live-action Aladdin film with John August penning the screenplay for Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures and Dan Lin attached as producer with Roland Emmerich and Steven Spielberg returns to produce. The studio said that the film would be "an ambitious and nontraditional" take on the tale of Aladdin that would keep much of the musical elements of the original film. On the non-traditional aspect, the studio planned for the film to be told in a nonlinear format. In February 2017, Lin said that they were looking for a diverse cast and that they would not try "to make Prince of Persia". A worldwide casting call for the lead roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine commenced in March 2017, with principal production set to begin in the UK in July 2017 until January 2018. On April 19, 2017, it was reported that either Gabriel Iglesias or Will Smith was in talks for the role of Genie, for which the latter was confirmed in July. In May 2017, Jade Thirlwall was in talks for the part of Princess Jasmine. On July 11, 2017, it was announced that principal production on Aladdin had been pushed back by a month, to August 2017, due to struggles in finding the right actor to portray the titular role. Over 2,000 actors and actresses had auditioned for the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine but that finding a male lead of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent in his 20s who could act and sing had proven difficult. Naomi Scott and Tara Sutaria were the final two actresses in the running for the role of Jasmine, but neither could be cast until a chemistry test was done with whomever was cast as Aladdin. The studio was interested in casting Dev Patel or Riz Ahmed for the lead role of Aladdin, but neither were considered likely to obtain the role. In what became the final rounds of screen testing, actors Achraf Koutet, Mena Massoud, and George Kosturos were still in the running for the role of Aladdin. However, the studio had begun perusing old audition tapes for the role, having not been satisfied by the latest round of screen tests. At the 2017 D23 Expo, on July 15, it was announced that Massoud had been cast as Aladdin and Scott had been cast as Jasmine, ending a four month long open casting call. On July 17, 2017, it was announced that Disney had hired Vanessa Taylor to polish the original screenplay by August, specifically to do some "character work" and what is called "script doctoring". Meanwhile, Richie and the studio focused on casting the other main roles with filming slated to start in August in London. In August 2017, Marwan Kenzari joined the cast as Jafar with Nasim Pedrad cast in a newly created role as "a hand maid and friend of Jasmine" who will serve as a "comic relief" and Numan Acar as Hakim. The following month, Billy Magnussen joined the cast in a newly created role as Prince Anders alongside Navid Negahban as the Sultan. The decision of casting Magnussen as a new original white character into the film has drawn criticism with fans and critics deeming it "unnecessary" and "offensive", sparking accusations of whitewashing to the film while pointing out the irony regarding the worldwide search for actors and actresses to play the leads in connection to the controversy. The trailer confirmed that Frank Welker would reprise his role as the Cave of Wonders. In November 2017, Robby Haynes was cast as Razoul, while Welker was announced to also reprise his role as Abu the monkey. The decision to hire Scott, who has Ugandan-Indian heritage on her mother’s side, to play the lead of Princess Jasmine has also drawn criticism as well as accusations of colorism, as some expected the role to go to an Arab or Middle Eastern actress. In December 2018, Julie Ann Crommett, Disney's Vice President of Multicultural Engagement, said the decision to cast Scott as Jasmine reflected a mixing or association of different cultures in a broad region that consists of the Middle East, South Asia and China by extension, which all make up the Silk Road. The real intention for Agrabah was for it to be the center of the Silk Road and added that Jasmine's mother would be from a land that was not Agrabah. When asked about Ritchie's take on the film, Pasek & Paul described it as "very muscular and action-packed".Pasek & Paul talk Guy Ritchie’s ‘muscular, action-packed’ and ‘very cool’ ‘Aladdin’ Metro, December 11, 2017 Despite initial reports, the animal characters Abu, Iago, and Rajah from the original film will be appearing in some capacity.The Aladdin Remake May Have Jasmine's Tiger After All Cinema Blend, November 9, 2017EXCLUSIVE: IAGO TO APPEAR IN THE LIVE-ACTION ALADDIN REMAKE! Disney Film Facts, January 17, 2018 On December 20, 2018, Gilbert Gottfried said he was not asked to reprise his role as Iago. In March 2019, it was announced that Alan Tudyk would be voicing the character instead. In May 2019, Welker was announced to reprise his role as Rajah, Jasmine's pet tiger. Filming Principal photography began on September 6, 2017, at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, and wrapped on January 24, 2018. Part of the film was shot in Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan. The Royal Film Commission provided support to the production during filming and assisted in facilitating logistics. Reshoots took place during August 2018.Guy Ritchie's Aladdin cast called back to London for reshoots - report Star UK, Retrieved October 6, 2018 In January 2018, it was reported that the white extras were being applied brown make-up during filming in order to "blend in", which caused an outcry and condemnation among fans and critics, branding the practice as "an insult to the whole industry" while accusing the producers of not recruiting people with Middle-Eastern or North African heritage. Disney and Warner Bros. responded to the controversy, saying, "Diversity of our cast and background performers was a requirement and only in a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety and control (special effects rigs, stunt performers and handling of animals) were crew made up to blend in." The "Prince Ali" musical sequence features 1000 dancers and extras. Post-production The visual effects will be provided by Industrial Light & Magic and supervised by Michael Mullholland, Daniele Bigi and David Seager with the help of Hybride Technologies, DNEG, Nzviage and Proof. Music Alan Menken was brought in to compose the score for the film, after doing so for the original animated film. Pasek & Paul wrote a new song with Menken, and several songs from the original film by Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice were featured in the remake. Release Aladdin held its world premiere at the Grand Rex in Paris, France on May 8, 2019. It is scheduled to be released in 3D, Dolby Cinema and IMAX by Warner Bros. Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on May 24, 2019, replacing the original date set for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Aladdin s first regional premiere was in Jordan on May 13, 2019, in the presence of Prince Ali bin Hussein and Princess Rym Ali. Marketing Will Smith debuted the first official poster on October 10, 2018. The teaser trailer was released the following day. In December 2018, Entertainment Weekly offered a first official look at the cast in costume on the cover of their issue for the most anticipated films of 2019. On February 10, 2019, Disney debuted a special sneak peek of the film during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards which was met with largely negative feedback from audiences, primarily due to the quality of the CGI Genie in his blue design, created via motion capture effects. The negative reception sparked a large amount of memes and Photoshop edits mocking Will Smith's appearance in the sneak peek, several of which humorously comparing it with Tobias Fünke (from Arrested Development) painted in blue in an attempt to join the Blue Man Group. On March 12, 2019, Disney and Warner Bros. debuted a second trailer on Good Morning America. This trailer was met with a much more positive reception than the previous one, as it featured several songs from the original film and more of Smith not entirely in motion-capture, but also having his CGI aspects scenes being quite suitable. Home media In regard to streaming, Aladdin will be released exclusively on Disney+, Disney's upcoming streaming service. The film will be available during the service's first year of launch. Reception Box office In the United States and Canada, Aladdin will be released alongside Booksmart and Brightburn, and is projected to gross anywhere from $65–85 million from 4,300 theaters over its four-day opening weekend, with Disney and Warner Bros. projecting a $75–85 million debut. Worldwide, the film is expected to gross an additional $100–120 million, including $10–20 million in China. Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 60% based on 104 reviews, and an average rating of 5.96/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Aladdin retells its classic source material's story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising Smith, Scott and Massoud's performances and calling it a "shining, shimmering live-action update". Variety s Peter Debruge summarized his review with: "Will Smith steps into Robin Williams' shoes, bringing fresh attitude to the role of the Genie in Guy Ritchie's high-risk, mostly rewarding live-action remake." Despite praising the cast, William Bibbiani of the TheWrap said of the film: "If you don't think about it very hard (although you probably should), the remake of Aladdin might entertain you. But you'd be a heck of a lot more entertained by watching the original film again. Or by going to a real-life parade. Or by doing some light gardening. Or by doing a crossword puzzle." Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press wrote that "Guy Ritchie... was always an odd choice to helm a big Disney and Warner Bros. romantic musical and proves utterly the wrong guy here. Aladdin, in his hands, is more like The Mummy than Frozen. This is an Aladdin with a torture scene and pointlessly artful fast-slow-motion action scenes." Notes References External links * * * Aladdin (2019) on Sony Crackle }} Category:2010s adventure films Category:2010s coming-of-age films Category:2010s fantasy films Category:2010s musical films Category:2010s romantic comedy films Category:2010s romantic musical films Category:Aladdin (franchise) Category:American films Category:American buddy films Category:American coming-of-age films Category:American fantasy films Category:American fantasy adventure films Category:American musical films Category:American musical fantasy films Category:American nonlinear narrative films Category:American romantic comedy films Category:American romantic fantasy films Category:American romantic musical films Category:Disney film remakes Category:English-language films Category:Films about outlaws Category:Films about princesses Category:Films about wish fulfillment Category:Films featuring hypnosis Category:Films based on One Thousand and One Nights Category:Films based on adaptations Category:Films based on fairy tales Category:Films based on musicals based on films Category:Films based on multiple works Category:Films directed by Guy Ritchie Category:Films produced by Dan Lin Category:Film scores by Alan Menken Category:Films set in a fictional Asian country Category:Films set in the Middle East Category:Films shot at Longcross Studios Category:Films shot in Jordan Category:Films shot in London Category:Films shot in Surrey Category:Genies in film Category:IMAX films Category:Motion capture in film Category:Film remakes Category:Films with screenplays by Guy Ritchie Category:Films with screenplays by John August Category:Walt Disney Pictures films Category:Musicals by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken Category:Musicals by Tim Rice Category:Musicals by Alan Menken and Tim Rice Category:Musicals by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Category:Films produced by Roland Emmerich Category:Films produced by Steven Spielberg Category:Films produced by Kristie Macosko Krieger Category:Films produced by Frank Marshall Category:Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy Category:Warner Bros. films Category:Amblin Entertainment films Category:The Kennedy/Marshall Company films Category:Centropolis Entertainment films Category:Musicals by Alan Menken, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul